ATP-Binding site of annexin VI characterized by photochemical release of nucleotide and infrared difference spectroscopy

Exploring NMR methods as a tool to select suitable fluorescent nucleotide analogues

Fluorescent analogues provide important tools for biochemical/biophysical research. However, the analogues contain chemical modifications much larger than those known to affect ligand-binding, such as the inversion of a carbon centre or substitution of an atom. We lack experimental tools and protocols to select the most appropriate fluorescent analogue. Herein, we use several NMR spectroscopy methods, including Saturation Transfer Difference (STD), STD competition and transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (Tr-NOESY), as tools to select appropriate fluorescent probes. Annexin A6 (AnxA6) is a ubiquitous protein that forms in vitro GTP-induced ion channels. We used this protein as a model and screened guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and four fluorescent analogues against AnxA6. STD reported that the GTP moiety of all ligands made similar contacts with the protein, despite additional interactions between the fluorescent tags and AnxA6. Competition STD experiments verified that the analogues and GTP bind to the same site. Tr-NOESY indicated that the bound conformation of the base relative to ribose is altered for some analogues compared to GTP. MANT-GTP or the BODIPY thioester of guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) are the most suitable fluorescent analogues for AnxA6, according to NMR. These results reveal NMR as a useful technique to select and design proper fluorescent tags for biochemical/biophysical assays.

Characterization of caged compounds binding to proteins by NMR spectroscopy

Photolysable caged ligands are used to investigate protein function and activity. Here, we investigate the binding properties of caged nucleotides and their photo released products to well established but evolutionary and structurally unrelated nucleotide-binding proteins, rabbit muscle creatine kinase (RMCK) and human annexin A6 (hAnxA6), using saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy. We detect the binding of the caged nucleotides and discuss the general implications on interpreting data collected with photolysable caged ligands using different techniques. Strategies to avoid non-specific binding of caged compound to certain proteins are also suggested.

Peroxidase activity of annexin 1 from Arabidopsis thaliana

On the basis of earlier reports suggesting that annexin A1 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AnnAt1) participates in limiting the excessive levels of reactive oxygen species during oxidative burst in plants, we examined the sensitivity of recombinant AnnAt1 to hydrogen peroxide and its peroxidase activity. Purified recombinant protein remains mostly alpha-helical and binds to lipids in a calcium-dependent manner. Upon oxidation recombinant AnnAt1 exhibits a tendency to form dimers in vitro. AnnAt1 is also sensitive to the presence of reducing agents, suggesting that AnnAt1 is a redox sensor in plant cells. Moreover, using two independent methods we found that AnnAt1 displayed peroxidase activity which is probably related to the presence of a heme-binding domain within AnnAt1, as present in other peroxidases. Indeed, site-directed mutagenesis within this domain resulted in a complete abrogation of the activity of AnnAt1. Furthermore, this activity was found to be sensitive to the phosphorylation state of the protein.

Interactions of caged-ATP and photoreleased ATP with alkaline phosphatase

Photolytic release of ATP from inactive P(3)-[1-(2-nitrophenyl)]ethyl ester of ATP (NPE-caged ATP) provides a means to reveal molecular interactions between nucleotide and enzyme by using infrared spectroscopy. Reaction-induced infrared difference spectra of bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase (BIAP) and of NPE-caged ATP revealed small structural alterations on the peptide backbone affecting one or two amino-acid residues. After photorelease of ATP, the substrate could be hydrolyzed sequentially by the enzyme producing three Pi, adenosine, and the photoproduct nitrosoacetophenone. It was concluded that NPE-caged ATP could bind to BIAP prior to the photolytic cleavage of ATP and that Pi could interact with BIAP after photolysis of NPE-caged ATP and hydrolysis, yielding infrared spectra with distinct structure changes of BIAP. This suggests that the molecular mechanism of ATP hydrolysis by BIAP involved small structural adjustments of the peptide backbone in the vicinity of the active site during ATP hydrolysis which continued during Pi binding.

GTP-induced membrane binding and ion channel activity of annexin VI: is annexin VI a GTP biosensor?

Annexin VI (AnxVI) formed ion channels in planar lipid bilayers that were induced by the addition of millimolar guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) at pH 7.4 and that were not accompanied by a penetration of the protein into the membrane hydrophobic region. GTP-influenced interactions of AnxVI with Ca2+/liposomes produced small structural alterations as revealed by circular dichroism and infrared spectroscopies. Guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)-triphosphate (GTPgammaS) binding to AnxVI, promoted by the photorelease of GTPgammaS from GTPgammaS[1-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)-ethyl] (caged-GTPgammaS), affected three to four amino acid residues of AnxVI in the presence of Ca2+/liposomes, while about eight or nine amino acid residues were altered in their absence. This suggested that the nucleotide-binding site overlapped the lipid-binding domain of AnxVI. The binding of the fluorescent GTP analog, 2'-(or 3')-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)guanosine 5'-triphosphate (TNP-GTP) to AnxVI was optimal in the presence of Ca2+/liposomes, with a dissociation constant (K(d)) of 1 microM and stoichiometry of 1. TNP-GTP promoted fluorescence resonance energy transfer from tryptophan residues to the nucleotide. Ion conductance and fluorescence measurements of the C- and N-terminal fragments of AnxVI indicated distinct GTP-binding properties, suggesting that the existence of the GTP-induced ion channel activity of AnxVI is associated with the flexibility of the two halves of the protein. Such structural flexibility could contribute to a molecular mechanism of AnxVI acting as a GTP biosensor.

Conformational states of annexin VI in solution induced by acidic pH

Acidic pH-induced folding of annexin (Anx)VI in solution was investigated in order to study the mechanism of formation of ion channels by the protein in membranes. Using 2-(p-toluidino)naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid as a hydrophobic probe, it was demonstrated that AnxVI exerts a large change in hydrophobicity at acidic pH. Moreover, circular dichroism spectra indicated that the native state of AnxVI changes at acidic pH towards a state characterized by a significant loss of alpha-helix content and appearance of new beta-structures. These changes are reversible upon an increase of pH. It is postulated that the structural folding of AnxVI could explain how a soluble protein may undergo transition into a molecule able to penetrate the membrane hydrophobic region. The physiological significance of these observations is discussed.

UDP hydrolase activity associated with the porcine liver annexin fraction

In the crude fraction of porcine liver annexins, we identified annexin IV (AnxIV), AnxII and AnxVI of MW (molecular weight) of 32, 36 and 68 kDa, respectively, an albumin of MW of 61.5 kDa and an UDP hydrolase (UDPase) of MW of 62 kDa, related to the human UDPase from Golgi membranes. The latter enzyme exhibits its highest specificity towards UDP and GDP but not ADP and CDP, and it is stimulated by Mg(2+) and Ca(2+). AnxVI itself, although it binds purine nucleotides, does not exhibit hydrolytic activity towards nucleotides. Taken together, these results suggest that AnxVI may interact in vivo with a nucleotide-utilizing enzyme, UDPase. This is in line with observations made by other investigators that various annexins are able to interact with nucleotide-utilizing proteins, such as protein kinases, GTPases, cytoskeletal proteins and p120(GAP). Such interactions could be of particular importance in modulating the biological activities of these proteins in vivo.

Differential effects of annexins I, II, III, and V on cytosolic phospholipase A2 activity: specific interaction model

Annexins (ANXs) are a family of proteins with calcium-dependent phospholipid binding properties. Although inhibition of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) by ANX-I has been reported, the mechanism is still controversial. Previously we proposed a 'specific interaction' model for the mechanism of cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) inhibition by ANX-I [Kim et al., FEBS Lett. 343 (1994) 251-255]. Here we have studied the cPLA2 inhibition mechanism using ANX-I, N-terminally deleted ANX-I (DeltaANX-I), ANX-II, ANX-II(2)P11(2), ANX-III, and ANX-V. Under the conditions for the specific interaction model, ANX-I, DeltaANX-I, and ANX-II(2)P11(2) inhibited cPLA2, whereas inhibition by ANX-II and ANX-III was negligible. Inhibition by ANX-V was much smaller than that by ANX-I. The protein-protein interactions between cPLA2 and ANX-I, DeltaANX-I, and ANX-II(2)P11(2) were verified by immunoprecipitation. We can therefore conclude that inhibition of cPLA2 by specific interaction is not a general function of all ANXs, and is rather a specific function of ANX-I. The results are consistent with the specific interaction model.

Annexins as nucleotide-binding proteins: facts and speculations

Annexins are ubiquitous multifunctional Ca2+ and phospholipid-binding proteins whose mechanism of function remains largely unknown. The accumulated in vitro experimental evidence indicates that ATP and GTP are functional ligands for nucleotide-sensitive annexin isoforms. Such nucleotide binding could modulate Ca2+ homeostasis, vesicular transport and/or signal transduction pathways and link them to cellular energy metabolism. Alternatively, since annexins are able to interact with other nucleotide-utilizing proteins, such as various kinases, GTPases and structural proteins, these proteins could influence the guanine nucleotide exchange metabolism and/or control the activity of various G proteins. The nucleotide-binding properties of annexins may affect the development or maintenance of some pathologies and diseases in which changes in physiological concentrations of purine nucleotides or disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis are crucial targets.

Substrate binding and enzyme function investigated by infrared spectroscopy

Protein conformational changes triggered by molecule binding are increasingly investigated by infrared spectroscopy often using caged compounds. Several examples of molecule-protein recognition studies are given, which focus on nucleotide binding to proteins. The investigation of enzyme mechanisms is illustrated in detail using the Ca(2+)-ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane as an example. It is shown that infrared spectroscopy provides valuable information on general aspects of enzyme function as well as on molecular details of molecule-protein interactions and the mechanism of catalysis.